Steven Ginsburg: 0:00

Sometimes it's a massive firestorm and sometimes it's a singular flamethrower. B make no mistake about it. Everything's burned into the ground.

Steve Coughran: 0:07

This is the Addiction Recovery Podcast with Steven T Ginsbrg, founder of Restore Detox Centers in sunny California. Enjoy your experience. Every night around the dinner table when we have the kids, we have a discussion about some topic related to life. That's what my wife and I do, and weeks ago we were talking about the impact of our decisions over time, and so on my phone I Googled crystal meth over the years woman and there's this image out there on the internet.

Steve Coughran: 0:41

I don't know if you've ever seen it and there's this image out there on the internet. I don't know if you've ever seen it, Steven, but it's basically 10 years of meth use in the effects on one woman. So they have her criminal records or picture before all this and then every year you know she has like an updated mugshot or whatever. And it's scary to see how this woman is attractive, attractive blonde. She got into meth and then over 10 years her whole entire face changed, Like the cheeks were sunken in, you know she lost teeth and like her whole like structure, bone structure absolutely changed.

Steve Coughran: 1:16

And that's just one thing. And what I want to talk to you about today is what are the biggest side effects of drug use, not just physically but emotionally and everything else. You see, because this is what you do for a career of drug use, not just physically but emotionally and everything else. You see, because this is what you do for a career, this is your calling in life. You work with so many people at Restore and you see, the good effects, the bad effects and everything in between, and that's what I want to hear your perspective on today.

Steven Ginsburg: 1:38

Thank you, Steve. I appreciate it Just near and dear to my heart because, again to your point, you know, call to the front line and there's nowhere else I'd rather be. We are fighting the enemy a day at a time. You know it's a really broad stroke and I'll let the words be brought to me to hone in on it. You know the effects are just it's pure destruction, Steve. It's pure destruction of what? Everything. It destroys families, it destroys marriages, it destroys careers. It permanently alters lives. People spend the rest of their life in institutions, in jail, People end up at the morgue.

Steven Ginsburg: 2:20

That's a permanent effect of drug use. It's one of those things where, no matter what you start, eventually you have to stop. And then many times the unmanageability comes, and you know that's my litmus test for addiction and alcoholism is the unmanageability. And it's not that you have to stop, it's that you can't stop. You need to stop and there's got to be help to stop and then to stay stopped. You've got to work a program. There's no upside. I don't care what they're making legal, I don't care about dispensaries, I don't care what's out there. You and I have covered lots of it, Kratom. We've been down this road. It's all downside, there's monumental, unbelievable consequences. You are burning that village down. Sometimes it's a massive firestorm and sometimes it's a singular flamethrower. Make no mistake about it Everything's burned into the ground.

Steve Coughran: 3:15

Okay, hold on, let me ask you a question. Okay, now I had one of my clients that I was working with in the past and he was an entrepreneur, he on this business and he had his dad and his dad ate bacon like every single day bacon and eggs and he'd take the bacon grease and cook other things in it. I mean all the stuff that we're told not to do don't eat too much bacon, you're going to have a heart attack, whatever and then I've also known people where they smoke and they live till they're like 95 and then they get hit by a car or something and they don't even die from smoking or eating bacon. Do you think it's possible? Okay, and be real here, but do you think it's possible to use drugs but like to do it in a manageable way where it never becomes an addiction? You know, like what if somebody likes you're in there and they do it until they're 90. Have you ever met somebody like that?

Steven Ginsburg: 4:12

I mean, I've never met somebody like that. But there's the rub. So thank you for getting ahead of yourself into the rub, because if I'm going to tell the truth which I mean I have a bad habit of telling the truth these days the most fun, it's easiest thing to remember and we can't do our work without it. Yeah, okay, but first off, it goes back to what I said Anything you start, you're going to have to stop. I'm a casual marijuana user Eventually. You're not going to be. You're going to stop smoking it altogether or you won't be a casual user anymore.

Steven Ginsburg: 4:39

I've done Coke once in a while, until done coke once in a while until you hit that line of coke that had enough fentanyl in it and you had a cardiac incident. You ended up in the air and you're like I'm done with coke, or that didn't happen. Your, your wife and your children were at your memorial service because dad wanted to do a line of blow for fun in Vegas. So there's, we don't have good numbers here. We don't have good upside. This juice is not worth the squeeze on this. This is just destruction.

Steven Ginsburg: 5:09

And again, I don't care how they package it. And Steve and we're not going to get off into this you and I are going to be living, and just because it's permissible doesn't mean that it is something that is going to be a gain in our life. Eventually, everything will be regulated, everything will be offered, everything will be taxed and everything will be legal. That day is going to come before you and I are gone off of this planet, and I'll tell you the same formula applies that anything that you start, you will eventually have to stop, or you're going to need help getting stopped. Okay, well, that's my very long answer to your question.

Steve Coughran: 5:57

It's a good answer. I mean, have you ever had somebody come to a store and they go through your great program, they go through all the groups, all the great resources you offer them, right to get help, and they say, look, you know, I really appreciate your help, steven, but you know I'm I just want to keep using weed. I keep, I keep on smoke weed. I'm just going to do it occasionally. And they go on happily ever after or like, does that attitude eventually get them back into?

Steven Ginsburg: 6:26

I can barely contain myself answering you. I love it. I love it when I can't let you finish a sentence. That's great, because I just want to jump all over. I'm really working on that, by the way, not just with you, with everyone in my life. I'm getting somewhat better, but I started to fail right there with you because you're triggering me.

Steven Ginsburg: 6:42

So there's this thing like oh, California sobriety. You know I've had a problem with alcohol, pills and coke, but I'm going to like just smoke a little weed and eat these like gummies. I'm like, no, you're not. I mean you can. But here's what's going to happen. You know it's a peanut allergy thing, Steve. It's a peanut allergy. You know, we have a peanut. Our throat closes up. We're epi-penning out. Eventually we end up in the ICU because it's so severe. Six years later we're like you know, I'm just going to check out the honey roasted cashews and see how it goes. That throat is closing up again.

Steven Ginsburg: 7:14

This thing no matter where you are, you will get led back to your drug of choice. If you're a drinker and you're just smoking some weed, you're going to be drinking again. If you're a drugger like me I'm a pure, I am a very like textbook addict. Even in my relapse I didn't drink. If I drink, if I have a glass of wine, first of all, I'm no longer sober. My sobriety is over. I'm a day zero, not even a day one. I'm a day zero. I am going to go get and get my money's worth and get some, because I have an allergic reaction to mind-altering substances and if I trigger that reaction and my brain gets hijacked, I'm going until I get stopped. It is the same for anyone who is like me, but the casualties are this and that.

Steven Ginsburg: 8:04

I'm right back to where we were on the other part of the subject. Anything you start, you're going to have to stop. There is not a gray area here. And all the naysayers and people he doesn't understand. That's fine. I don't understand. You know, by the grace of God, I'm coming up 20 years clean and sober. I was almost 12 years at one point. I'm almost 55 years older than God called me for seven years to own and operate a medical detox and residential treatment center. I think I understand. You may not like the answer, but at the end of the day I think I understand. And here's what I understand Drugs are going to kill people and I'm going to do everything I can on my watch to not allow people to die.

Steve Coughran: 8:42

Okay, well, let me rile you up here a little bit, Steven, because you're already riled up, okay. So what if somebody said to you okay, steven, but you're a drug addict. I'm not a drug addict.

Steven Ginsburg: 8:51

Yes.

Steve Coughran: 8:52

Like you, you have a disease. I don't. So like I can actually do Coke and manage myself. So like, cause I don't have a problem, Like I can go out on Fridays and do Coke and drink and so like that's your thing. I'm not an addict. What would you say to them?

Steven Ginsburg: 9:09

Kudos, please be. I'd say I beg of you beyond words, even though I don't know whoever this person is. I beg of you, beg of you, beg of you. Don't do cocaine. There's fentanyl in all the cocaine. Please don't do cocaine.

Steven Ginsburg: 9:29

Everything else that you like that is controlled or that is properly controlled and you're a casual user, use casually. It's none of my business. And if the day comes where you need me, you will never hear and I told you so from a guy like me. The only thing I'll do is come alongside you and be like how can I help? What's going on? How is this escalated and what can we do to deescalate? But I salute them. They're not me and I'm not them.

Steven Ginsburg: 9:51

I am the addict and I'm okay with that. If it is about that for me, where I'm on my soapbox and I want to stop the rest of the world, that's really just because I want to get high and I want to get drunk. That's not what it is. When the unmanageability rears its head, when the families start getting destroyed, when the careers start getting destroyed, when the careers start getting destroyed, when the children start losing their parents, that is where I am called to step up and step in and come alongside these families. And it's just.

Steven Ginsburg: 10:21

And, steve, you've seen it, you've seen it firsthand. It's too common, it's too often, it is unreal. People are getting annihilated. People are getting annihilated by drugs and alcohol. And it's not stopping, it's getting worse and people are suffering. You're going to tell me it's better to have a bottle of wine than it is to go for a hike or go for a swim or go to the mountains or go to the ocean or sit and pray and meditate. You're going to tell me a bottle of wine is better than that. I call heavy duty BS. Yeah, but give yourself a chance, for goodness sake.

Steve Coughran: 10:56

Yeah, I agree, and we want to hear from you. What do you think about what we're saying, please? I mean, you may disagree, maybe have a different perspective or maybe have your own story that you want to share with us. That's the kind of stuff Steven and I want to hear, and we want to hear from you, so you can email us anytime. Hello, I store detox centerscom, so drop us a line. You could talk about anything that you want. You can share anything that you want.

Steve Coughran: 11:22

We just want to hear from you, and when you reach out and we hear from you, then we're able to curate future episodes, which just adds more value to the audience. So we'd love to hear from you. Also, if you want to learn more about what Steven is up to with restore detox centers, you can always go to restore detox centerscom. There are a ton of resources on the website. There's also links to other episodes, just like this. There's blogs, articles, there's eBooks. There's everything that you need there to get help and to learn about how to find solutions for not just yourself, but also for loved ones who may be struggling with addiction.

Steven Ginsburg: 11:59

Thank you so much Steve. I just want to say one more thing as we sign off right here. We are all all of us on the same side, and I'm on the side of quality of life, safety and sanctity side of quality of life, safety and sanctity. You will never come to us with a question or a point of view and get the aha moment or some kind of lecture. I told you so. But I want people to be safe, I want people to have happy, fulfilling lives and I don't want people to endanger the beauty and the quality of their life. And that is what I am guilty of today of those wants and I think those are fair wants and no matter where you land on the subject, that's still what I want for every individual that the Lord would see fit to put in our path.

Steve Coughran: 12:40

Yeah, and I love your humility and I love your grace that you show people and I could testify that I've never felt judged by you. I've never felt this I told you so condescending type of attitude. You're just loving and you have open arms for everybody, so that's great. That's who is on the other side of the microphone here, steven. It's been great chatting with you today, steve, thank you for this.

Steven Ginsburg: 13:03

It's a gift Everyone. Have a safe and sober day and know that we are here with you and for you in all things.